Chanterelle Penne

Chanterelle mushrooms are precious and should be shared with someone you love, which could be yourself, your partner, your mother, your child, a friend. Certainly an exquisite meal for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion.

These are one of the fruitier mushrooms, reminiscent of apricots in summer while retaining their earthy mushroomness.

Time from start to finish: About two hours

Ingredients:

10-20 dried Chanterelle mushrooms (1 normal size package) unless you have fresh ones (if so, proceed as usual but use water in place of soaking liquid)

2 cups of water for soaking (do not throw soaking water away!)

Enough penne for two, about 1/3 of a normal box

1 white onion diced

1 1/2  cups of water or broth (if using broth omit the salt)

3/4 tbs salt or to taste

2 tbs canola oil

1 tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to garnish

Soak mushrooms for 30 minutes to 1 hour in enough water to cover, about 2 cups. Do not throw water away! We will use this. Drain mushrooms through a fine strainer into a large bowl to catch the precious golden brown liquid. Pat mushrooms dry, gently but thoroughly. Heat a large pot on medium heat and when hot add oil. Then add onion and sautee until soft and golden yellow. Then add mushrooms and continue to sautee for another 2 minutes. Now add the liquid from the mushroom soaking. Turn heat to just above low and simmer without lid for about 45 minutes. At some point add the extra 1 1/2 cups of water or broth, about half way through. If you are using water add the salt, if broth, omit this step. Continue the simmer. Now is a good time to start boiling the water for the penne, just cook al dente, do not overcook, drain, and add 1 tsp of olive oil and cover in pot. When 45 minutes are up, add cornstarch and water and stir until well thickened. Serve chanterelle sauce over penne and garnish with finely chopped parsley and fresh black pepper.

 

Channa Gobi Masala

Indian food has a special place in my home, as in, our favorite thing to eat. My graduate studies were in Hinduism and Islam (yes, I also have a great hummus recipe), but I now primarily use what I learned as a student while in the kitchens of my international friends and their parents. I have been debating whether to post Indian and Middle Eastern recipes–couldn’t one find an Indian or Middle Eastern recipe website with better recipes? I have, however, learned from authentic sources and cooked some of these recipes for over a decade. I have also had trouble with some online recipes and have experimented quite a bit with ingredients, especially amounts. So here it goes, my rendition of Channa Masala, with Gobi which means “cauliflower.” I should add, this is me playing with ingredients, if you want a strict Channa or Channa Gobi Masala, go to an Indian cookbook, with the caveat that this one is the best I have ever had.

Ingredients:

6 cups of fully soaked chickpeas (use a slow cooker on low, drain water when plumped up completely and rinse)

6 Campari tomatoes quartered

1 head of cauliflower cut into mouth ready pieces

1 onion finely chopped

1 1/2 tbs fresh minced garlic

1 tbs fresh minced ginger (if you are really lazy/busy you can buy a garlic/ginger paste at an Indian grocery store but fresh is much better.)

1/4 cup of Canola oil

3 tsp course sea salt

2 tsp white sugar

4 tbs amchoor powder which is dried mango (easy to buy online from Amazon or elsewhere or from an Indian grocery if you are so lucky, I am already jealous).

1 tsp paprika

1 tbs Kashmiri Red Chili powder (this will make it rather hot, use less or none if you want it mild, which is how it is usually served at an Indian restaurant, you can use another red chili powder too but this one is so much fun if you like your food hot and bright)

1 tbs cumin powder

1/2 tbs coriander powder

1/4 cup of water

1 tbs garam masala

Get your ingredients ready first (spices in a bowl). Heat a large pot on medium. When hot add onion cook until golden and soft. Do not burn. Add garlic and ginger, stirring quickly for about a minute, then add spices stir for about 30 seconds, then add water, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is tender but not too soft.

Brie, Apple, Coconut Pecan Saturday Salutation

This is how you want to start your day. Beginning the New Year with food which you savor is to say “Yes!” to life.

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith Apples

3 x 3 piece of Brie (the better the brie, the better the glee)

1/2 cup of pecan halves (whole is fine)

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut

Preheat over to 375. Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or butter and place apple slices in a bunch in center. Place brie in pieces onto apples, top with pecans and then coconut. Bake for 15-20 minutes (turn up to 425 for the last minute or so), or until you home smells edible, or until your child or other loved one does this:

Pear, Chicken, Scallion, Red Onion, and Sharp White Cheddar Pizza

This pizza recipe creates a rich entourage of flavors that will entice your palate.

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough

1/3 pound of chicken chopped into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 red onion chopped

7 scallions chopped

1 pear chopped

1/8 cup of flour

dash of cayenne

1 tsp salt

1-2 tbs chopped garlic

1/2 cup of sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 550. Dry chopped chicken with paper towels. Heat frying pan on medium-high and when hot add oil In a bowl combine flour, cayenne and salt and toss chicken in mixture. Fry chicken in oil until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels. Add chopped red onion to pan and cook until softened, then add pear and scallion and finally garlic until ingredients are soft but not overdone, about 5 minutes total from when red onion is added. Add chicken and cook for another minute.

Roll or stretch pizza dough onto your pizza peel or pan. Spread mixture from pan onto pizza dough, making sure not to overload it, if in doubt, add less. You can serve the extra on the side but it will not cook properly if overly laden. Top with grated sharp cheddar.

Put pizza in oven and cook until crust is golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

A Taste of Adams Morgan/ Ethiopia

Did you know that Tennessee has become one of the most popular places for Ethiopians to move to when they come to America? Me neither, because it isn’t. But Washington, DC is, and that is where I went to school. If you’ve left DC to live in a suburb you probably don’t miss the traffic or cost of living, but you might very well miss the Ethiopian and other incredible international food.

This is a dish inspired by Ethiopian cuisine but adapted for my tastes and available ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 pounds or so of Stew Beef

1 large onion chopped

As many tomatoes as you can afford (actually not more than 7, but hopefully at least 3, but if you’re still recovering from living in DC canned will do…)

1 teaspoon of Cardamon (whole or ground)

1-2 tablespoons of salt depending on taste

3-4 tablespoons of Tumeric (it’s bright yellow, important for Indian cuisine as well. Better to buy at an Indian store where the price will be better if you’re so lucky as to be near one, or in the Southern U.S., the Badia brand which is in the “ethnic” section and is much less expensive)

2 tablespoons or so of Butter

4 tablespoons of Olive Oil, Palm oil, Peanut Oil, etc.

Hot peppers if you like, any kind, as many as you want. I used dried, very hot red chilis

Instructions:

Dry beef with paper or cloth towels. In a large pan, I like to use a cast iron pan but as you like, add olive or some other oil and brown beef well, a nice, deep brown.

In a large pot melt butter, add olive oil and when bubbling add chopped onion. When golden, add tomatoes whole (I’m not so fussy after all!). There is no need to chop them. They will magically soften into a puree because next you will add hot peppers and then the lid. You will reduce heat to low-medium and recheck in about 10 minutes. Remember meanwhile to stir beef. When beef is browned and tomatoes are soft, add theCover and cook on low as long as you can stand, but at least 3 hours, hopefully up to 6, checking and stirring. You could put it in a slow cooker for 8-12 hours/overnight for something incredible if you have the time.

Mom and Dad’s Note: My 1 year old loved this, he ate 5 pieces! Just don’t make it too spicy and don’t accidentally feed him or her a whole cardamon pod or piece of one or you will get a yucky face and tongue out rejection. If that happens, offer juice and continue with beef.